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Baptism

    Baptism Editor's Picks

    • About Baptism

      A Christian believer's water baptism is a joyous occasion, symbolic of rebirth in Jesus Christ. Families and church congregations often commemorate the event with special ceremonies, gifts, cards and celebrations. The baptismal rite, entered into by millions of Christians, primarily signifies identification with Christ. more »

    • Do it Yourself Baptism Invitations

      A baptism celebrates the beginning of one's religious life. When the baptism is for a new baby, friends and family are typically invited to attend the event. Invitations that are personalized make nice keepsakes and are often stored away in scrapbooks or memory albums for years to come. There are a couple of simple ways to create your... more »

    • Ideas for a Baptism Centerpiece

      An adult or child's baptism is a special event for both you and your family. Since a baptism can be for an adult, teenager or a child, it is important to take into consideration the age of the person whose baptism you are celebrating when considering what to use as your baptism centerpiece idea. more »

    • What to Buy for a Baptism Gift

      A baptism is a Christian ceremony that signifies a "rebirth" of a person. Baptism is performed at birth in some Christian denominations; in Evangelical and Protestant faiths, however, baptism is usually carried out when the person has made a public declaration of his faith, regardless of his age. When choosing a baptism gift, it is... more »

    • How to Decorate a Church for a Baptism

      For many religions, baptisms are a special, emotional and holy event, signifying a person or baby's new life as a member of the church or family of God. While the church should not be lavishly decorated as for a wedding, there are some ways you can decorate to make the baptism even more special. Often, baptisms are followed by... more »

    Baptism Quick Guides

    Baptism Articles

    • About Baptism Parties

      Baptism parties are festive events held by parents of newly baptized babies. Not only is it a celebration of the baptism rite of passage itself.... more »

    • How to Understand Baptism

      There are different ways to be baptized. In the Catholic faith, baptism is done by sprinkling water. In other faiths, baptism is done by being... more »

    • About Mormon Baptism

      The Mormon Church is a uniquely American branch of Christianity often noted for its differences from more mainstream denominations. However, like... more »

    • How Does a Baptism Work?

      Baptism is the ceremony through which an individual becomes publicly affiliated with the Christian religion. While there are quite a few versions... more »

    • What Is the Purpose of Baptism?

      Baptism, also called Christening, signifies either an acceptance into or personal adoption of the Christian faith. It is one of the seven... more »

    Wikipedia

    Baptism



    In Christianity, baptism (from Greek baptizo: "immersing", "performing ablutions", i.e., "washing")"LSJ"> is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.

    The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the candidate (or "baptizand") to be immersed totally or partially. While John the Baptists use of a deep river for his baptism suggests immersion, pictorial and archaeological evidence of Christian baptism from the 3rd century onwards indicates that the normal form was to have the candidate stand in water while water was poured over the upper body.While in some places and in certain circumstances total immersion very likely was practiced, all the evidence (and there is much more!) points to baptism in most cases by partial immersion or affusion (dunking of the head or pouring water over the head, typically when the baptizand was standing in the baptismal pool). Here the words of St. John Chrysostom might be noted: "It is as in a tomb that we immerse our heads in the water… then when we lift our heads back the new man comes forth" (On John 25.2, PG 59:151). In a word, while early Christians were very attentive to symbolism relating to baptism (cf. the funerary shape of the baptistry building; the steps, typically three, for descending and rising from the font; the iconography relating to regeneration, etc.), they show few signs of preoccupation with total immersion. (Father John Erickson in St Vladimirs Theological Quarterly, 41, 77 (1997), quoted in )"ODWR"> Other common forms of baptism now in use include pouring water three times on the forehead.

    Baptism was seen as in some sense necessary for salvation, until Huldrych Zwingli in the sixteenth century denied its necessity.cross2005baptism> Martyrdom was identified early in church history as baptism by blood, enabling mart read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism

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